Second Calling
by MissyIrene
Summary: An Au crossover with Gravitation, in which Omi's life takes an unexpected turn just when things are starting to go his way. My first ever crossover, check it out and Enjoy! I finally updated again, Enjoy!
1. Prologue

Hey I'm back!!!! ^_^ Sorry for disappearing like that, been really busy with summer classes and now my fall classes just started. But I have some free time before my classes really get underway, so I decided to start this new fic and update my other project. ^_~ This is my very first attempt at not only a Gravitation fic but a cross-over. It is indeed a Weiss Kreuz/Gravitation cross over. They make such a great combination, don't you think? Well here is the prologue, let me know what you think and I will update when I can. Thanks and Enjoy. ^_^  
  
(Author's Note): This is an AU fic in which Omi and Shuichi are the same person, I just wanted to say this to prevent confusion later. Shuichi is an identity that Omi takes on as a cover while he was with Kritiker but before he was with Weiss and then afterward, it will make more sense later, I hope. ^_^ Oh and one more thing, the fic takes place after the first season but excludes the Gluden timeline, and Omi is now 19 years old.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Gravitation or Weiss Kreuz, but one can always dream, right?   
  
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Second Calling  
  
Prologue  
  
  
  
Omi signed with satisfaction as he turned the "we're open" sign to "closed" and locked the doors to the flower shop. It had been another hectic day full of giggling school girls and even a few over 18 women much to Yohji's delight, and even though his night job was on hold until Weiss was given new orders by Kritiker, working the longer hours at the flower shop and starting classes at Tokyo University was exhausting. Since his graduation from high school almost two years ago Omi and his teammates in Weiss had stayed on to work at the flower shop, even as they all branched out to do more with their new found freedom.   
  
Since Kritiker had put the team on hold after the confrontation with Estet and Schwarz all the team members of Weiss had decided to enjoy their freedom and live a little. Since Aya-chan had woken up she had started to live with the boys in a spare room, that before had just been a place to keep extra equipment and any of Ken's junk that didn't fit in his room, not to mention Yohji's extensive video and magazine collection. Ran as Aya-kun liked to be called now, to prevent confusion among his team mates; had followed Omi's example and started to attend classes at Tokyo University, he was well on his way to a degree in Physiology, or as Yohji called it, becoming a shrink.   
  
Ken-kun continued to tutor the neighborhood kids in soccer and even helped coach a team at a local high school. Yohji was trying his hand again at private investigating, and would frequently coerce Omi into doing research for him on the cases he worked. All in all everyone was moving on, but couldn't fully move on until Kritiker gave them a final answer, which was, would Weiss disbanded for good, or were they going to be commissioned again? In the first few months of their hiatus, his teammates had constantly asked Omi if he had heard any word from Manx or Berman on the matter, but to this date they would only tell him that he and the others were to keep ready and wait for further instruction.   
  
At the moment Omi and Aya-chan had just finished their shifts for the day and it was Aya-chan's turn to cook tonight, but he had promised her earlier that he would help her, since all the others were out. As Omi removed his apron he heard his name called from the kitchen.  
  
"Omi, I need your help if we're going to have dinner done before the others come home!"  
  
Smiling at Aya-chan's cheerful attitude Omi bounded up the stairs and answered her with, "Ok Aya-chan what do you need?"   
  
Smiling to Omi Aya-chan pointed to the vegetables on the counter, "could you cut those up for me, while I start on the pasta and the sauce?"  
  
"Sure, and by the way Aya I'm so glad you're cooking tonight, my stomach is still reeling from Ken-kun's latest concoction from last night."  
  
Giggling while she set the water to boil, Aya turned to Omi with a modest blush adorning her cheeks, "thanks for the compliment Omi, but I don't think Ken-kun's cooking is all that horrible its just, um, uh-different," she said as she and Omi dissolved into a fit of laughter at her understatement.   
  
The slamming of the back door about a half hour later alerted the two teens of the arrival of the rest of their family. Ken made himself known in the kitchen and was immediately ushered out to the bathroom by a perturbed Aya-chan, when she saw him tracking mud in on the nice clean floors. Omi was about to turn around and finish his latest task of setting the table when Yohji glided into the room and made a b-line for the pasta sauce simmering on the stove. Before he could sample the dinner Aya-chan had cooking, the crack of a spoon smacking Yohji's hand reverberated in the room as well as a few choice curses.   
  
"Hey chibi what was that for!" Yohji said as he nursed his stinging hand.   
  
"Hand's off Yohji, you can wait 5 more minutes for dinner, and go wash up," Omi said with an annoyed huff.   
  
"Ok, ok keep your shirt on chibi, I was just sampling the delicacies, no need to get so upset," smirking Yohji left the room to make himself more presentable for dinner.   
  
The ruckus of him banging on the bathroom door upstairs and yelling for Ken to hurry the hell up, followed Aya-chan as she re-entered the kitchen with a smile to Omi, and returned to the stove to finish dinner.   
  
Just as Omi and Aya-chan were placing the meal out Ran entered the kitchen, he nodded his greeting to Omi and gave his sister a hug in greeting before he too was told to wash up at the sink by Aya-chan.  
  
Sit down dinners were never a large occurrence for the boys of Weiss, but since Aya-chan had started living with them she had made an effort to create a more family based atmosphere, and the greater frequency of sit down dinners were often a result of her efforts. Omi figured it was her way to compensate for the loss of her own family, as well as an attempt to revitalize her relationship with her brother, and find a way to make herself more convertible around his teammates.   
  
Personally Omi liked the dinners and the idea of having a more family like atmosphere with his team, it had been a long time since anything like this had existed for him. From what his team mates knew Omi had not had any real family since the Taketori's, and they in his friend's opinion hardly counted. What his friends didn't know and what Omi couldn't tell them for Kritiker's security reasons, was that not that long before Weiss had formed Omi had briefly had a family again while undercover. When the assignment which had lasted 2 years had ended, Omi had found he missed the family life he had been able to enjoy for a short time.   
  
Omi's inward thoughts were shattered by a voice asking him to pass the parmesan cheese, and he turned to Ken-kun who had taken a seat next to Omi at the table and was waiting for the said item to be passed to him.   
  
After passing Ken his parmesan cheese Omi looked up to see Yohji seating himself next to Ran, and Aya-chan who was dishing out pasta to a hungry and eager Ken-kun. He smiled at the normalcy of the scene and one particular thought came to mind as he was passed his plate, life for now was good.   
  
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TBC  
  
Well how was that? Now much Gravitation in this chapter but it is coming so be patient, let me know what you think. Thanks. ^_^ 


	2. Life and Dreams

Hey everyone here's another chapter. ^_^ It must have been all those wonderful reviews that inspired me. Anyway there is some Gravitation as promised, hopefully it will begin to make more sense now, well enjoy. ^_^  
  
(Author's Note): In this chapter Omi tackles what every college student dreads, final exams! Also Manx stops by with a mission, but why is Omi the only one she wants?   
  
The plot thickens. ^_~  
  
Disclaimer: I do not now nor will I ever own Gravitation or Weiss Kreuz, oh well.   
  
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Chapter 1: Life and Dreams  
  
Annoyed grunts and the clatter of dishes followed Omi as he left the kitchen shortly after dinner. Since he and Aya-chan had cooked, Yohji and Ken had been elected by Ran to do the dishes. Snickering at the scene of Yohji with his arms elbow deep in soapy water and Ken drying the dishes while trying not to break them, he headed up to his room to start his studying.   
  
The wee hours of the morning found Omi trying to keep his eyes open and finish his studying for the two final exams he had the next day, or was it today? Shaking his head to clear the cobwebs Omi decided he needed a strong cup of coffee to wake him up, after all it was only 2 a.m. he still had hours of productive study time left.   
  
Quietly walking to the kitchen he only noticed the lights were on as he approached the door. Peeking in Omi gave a crooked smile at seeing that he was not alone in the torture of cramming for finals. Ran was seated at the kitchen table, books scattered across the tabletop and a warm mug of coffee in hand. He looked up to spare Omi a glance and a welcome grunt and then proceeded back to his reading.   
  
Not daring to disturb Ran when he was studying, which Omi knew was an instant death sentence; he quickly filled a mug with the ambrosia of any college student during finals, coffee. Then proceeded to leave the kitchen as quickly and quietly as he had come.   
  
Morning found Omi asleep, face crammed into a book and a half full mug of stone cold coffee on the desk beside him. His first coherent thought upon returning to consciousness was that he was thankful that his first exam was not until noon.   
  
From the noise in the hallway Omi knew that Ran was not so lucky, and was at the moment using the shower so he could make his 8 a.m. exam. Deciding he was better off awake then trying to sleep now, but not wanting to study more yet, Omi turned his computer on and let it warm up while he proceeded back to the kitchen to trade his cold, stale coffee for some fresh warm brew.   
  
On his return to his computer Omi noticed he had an urgent e-mail from Kirshiker and Manx. This of course was a surprise, since it had been almost 2 years since anything of that nature had been sent. Deciding to read it first before he told the others, Omi opened the e-mail and proceeded to read.   
  
Five minutes later found Omi frantically trying to call Manx, after reading her letter to him. His thoughts were a jumble, 'this is impossible, not now, not when my life is finally turning out normal' he thought.   
  
When reading the letter Omi had first thought that Manx was sending a mission for Weiss and that the team was back to being active; or better yet that she was mailing him to give the good news that Kirshiker had finally decided to disband Weiss, and that he and the others could now get on with living their lives.   
  
No, that had not been what was written. True there had been orders for a mission, like Omi had predicted, however they were not orders for Weiss. The orders and the mission that came with them were for a boy named Shuichi. That was a name that Omi had definitely never expected to hear again, and was now worrying him more then he thought possible.   
  
~*~  
  
Heaving a heavy sigh, Omi headed to the parking lot where he saw Ran's car waiting for him. Both of them having two exams that day, Ran had told Omi earlier that morning that he would wait for him after exams ended and they would head home together. Both were tired, hungry and happy that their finals were over.   
  
Omi stifled a smirk when he took a seat in Ran's car. Despite his desire to appear as if he was cool and collected, Ran looked haggard and exhausted. Smiling at Ran, Omi offered to drive so that Ran could nap, he wasn't too surprised when the only answer he received was a disgruntled snort as the car left the parking lot. Ran never let anyone drive his car, and even Aya-chan had to beg if she wanted to practice her driving in that particular vehicle.  
  
Deciding that talking might help him forget the fact that when he got home Manx would be waiting for him, Omi tried to start a conversation with Ran. "So how were your exams?" Were they hard?" "Mine were really long, I'm glad that finals are over, aren't you?"   
  
Ran's seemingly universal answer to Omi's numerous questions was a sigh and a roll of his eyes, and a simple "yes".   
  
Any normal person would find this rude or simply unkind, but Omi as well as the others in Weiss were used to Ran's behavior and the fact that Omi had received any verbal answer at all, taking into consideration Ran's current condition was testament to their close relationship as family. Aya-chan was still trying to get used to her brother's more quiet nature and often would not react well to her sibling's seemingly cold nature. Omi as well as the others knew that Ran was trying to change, and that it would be a good deal of time before he and Aya would have the tight relationship they had once had. Too much had happened to him, between his sister's coma, their parent's deaths and Ran's life with Kirshiker.   
  
The two weary students were met at home by Aya-chan and a wonderful meal set out just for them. As Ran sat down to eat and listen to his sister chat on and on about how she had to keep Yohji and Ken away from the food, and how Yohji had tried to beg her to take on his shift for the day so he could go out on a date; Omi piled some food onto a plate and grabbed a bottled water out of the refrigerator. As he turned to leave the kitchen a familiar red headed woman met him at door.   
  
Manx smiled at the tired and yet surprised look on Omi's face as she caught him headed down to the flower shop with his lunch. She hadn't been surprised when she had received his panicked stricken phone call earlier that morning. The redhead had expected as much when Omi read the mission file she had mailed him. It wasn't something she wanted to dump on his shoulders, not now that he was finally aloud the chance to live his life, but Shuichi was needed and Omi was the only agent who could fill those shoes.   
  
Ushering Manx down to the mission room so that they could talk in private, Omi told a curious Ken and Yohji that he would fill them in on what happened when their shift ended and Aya agreed to keep the two "bakas" from interrupting whatever they needed to speak about.   
  
Sighing as he sat down on the over stuffed leather sofa Omi took the large manila folder from Manx as she offered it to him. As Omi opened the folder to receive his instructions and orders for the long-term mission, Manx took a seat next to him as he read through the folder's contents.   
  
Deep and expressive blue eyes widened as he read the script on the papers, the boy assassin's head shot up as he looked imploringly at Manx. "You want to reassign me to a new partner!" "You can't do that Manx, I belong with Weiss, I belong with them, they are my family."  
  
Smiling with sympathy Manx put her hand on the teens shoulder, in a small semblance of comfort as she replied; "I'm sorry Omi but you are the only one who can be Shuichi, and you know that, the reassignment is not forever, when the mission is over you can come back."  
  
Clearly angry Omi shifted out of Manx's grasp, "what are they supposed to do while I'm gone, none of them can hack files or use a computer like I can, and you know that." "Are they even going to have missions, tell me that at least?"  
  
Smiling at Omi's concern and protective attitude for his fellow team members Manx nodded hear head. "Yes Omi they will have missions; despite what you all thought Kirshiker has decided that you are all to valuable to just let go of." "While you are gone a temporary agent will be assigned to the others to help with computer related issues and to be back up on missions." "When you return the agent will be pulled out of the group and reassigned." "Please say yes to the mission, we need you, Hiro needs you.   
  
Omi's eyes widened from the angry slits they had been to impossibly huge spheres that almost engulfed his face. "Hiro, my old partner, he's in on this too!"  
  
"Yes he is, and he's very anxious to work with you again," Manx smirked at Omi's gaping expression, in the back of her mind the resemblance to a fish registered as she watched the boy's face.   
  
Shaking his head at the implications of working with his old partner again, Omi closed the folder after returning its contents. "Can you give me some time to think about this, and even if I do accept I need time to prepare, I have a life now Manx I'm not in high school anymore, I have to get leave from the university and you know I haven't sang in years.   
  
Nodding her head Manx stood up to leave and turned to Omi before she headed up the stairs, "You have 48 hours to decide, no more time than that I'm sorry, but we need to start preparations for the mission as soon as possible, and don't worry about school Omi, I'll take care of everything." "Remember, don't tell the other's about this, I will give them what information I deem necessary for them to know, they can't interfere with this."  
  
At Omi's consenting nod the red headed bombshell turned to leave, but before she did she turned suddenly with one last question, "you have kept up with your song writing all these years haven't you?"  
  
A knowing laugh escaped Omi's lips before he could even stop it; "yes of course I have, you know it's like a second calling."  
  
~*~  
  
Two days later found Omi packing his things for his temporary stay at a Hiro's apartment, where he would meet his partner and prepare for his new identity that he would be using for the next several months to a year. A familiar black leather journal was removed from its hiding place under the floor boards of Omi's room.   
  
This book meant the world to the young assassin it was a symbol of the hope Omi had that he was meant for more then just killing, that he could create and not just destroy. Ever since he was little Omi had loved music. His training with Kirshiker had not left time for the boy assassin to learn to play any instruments, so Omi used the only instrument he had, his voice. Song writing had come naturally for the boy. It was a comfort on the cold nights when he was lonely and missed having a family or any real friend, he would write his feelings down and eventually they would form into songs.   
  
This had been going on for years, even before he had joined Weiss Omi had written songs in his little black journal and kept them as testament that he was more then just a tool for Kirshiker. Maybe someday he would put this life behind him and his songs would be there when that day came. Secretly Omi had always dreamed of being a professional singer, to be in the spotlight instead of hiding in the shadows. To be recognized for something other then a mission completed successfully, a computer system hacked, or a target eliminated. Omi wanted more, and his songs gave him a hope that such a thing was possible.   
  
Yes, he would complete this mission that Manx had set in front of him, it was like any other mission she had given him before, it was an obstacle in the path to his future and he would overcome it as he had all the others. Then he would return to his family and finish college, then when he had his education completed and paid for he would do the one thing he had always wanted to. He would say no. He would go to Manx and Kirshiker and refuse any more missions, he would resign from Weiss and he would go out in the world and pursue the dream he kept hidden beneath the facade of a killer. Omi would be a singer by one given name or by Shuichi, another given name. After all a name meant little to a boy who had given up his true name the night Ran had claimed he was not a Taketori anymore.   
  
Smiling at that thought and lovingly placing the journal between the folds his clothing, where curious eyes wouldn't discover it, Omi fastened the suitcase he had packed and grabbed his computer bag. Closing the door to his room knowing he would not see it again for another year, he turned to go. All the while in the back of his mind hoping that his temporary replacement won't mess up his room too much; Omi headed downstairs to say goodbye to his teammates, his family and his friends.   
  
A smile and a simple whisper slipped passed Omi's lips on his decent down the staircase, "I wonder if Hiro can still play that guitar of his....".  
  
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TBC  
  
Well that's it for now. ^_^ Hiro and possibly others will appear in the next chapter so stay tuned. And as for character pairings, this will definitely have an Omi-Shuichi/Yuki pairing, but as for the other characters, I have no idea?!?! I know! Why don't you let me know what you like and that might spawn some pairings? ^_~   
  
As always your comments and reviews inspire me so keep them coming. Thanks ^_^ 


	3. Pink!

Hi everyone, ^_^ sorry I haven't updated in such a long time, but I'm back and with an update too. ^_~ I decided on a little bit of comedy in this chapter, if you can call it that. I had fun writing this one, I hope you enjoy it. I would like to thank everyone who has reviewed so far, YOU GUYS ROCK!!!! ^_^ As always please post comments or reviews, it helps me improve, thanks. ^_^  
  
(Author's Note): In this chapter Omi meets his old friend Hiro, and poor Omi experiences the joy of makeovers. ^_^ Enjoy.   
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Weiss Kreuz or Gravitation, but you knew that already. ^_~  
  
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Chapter 2: PINK!!!!!  
  
Omi's discomfort at leaving home and the sorrow of saying goodbye to his friends and family was dulled somewhat by the sight of his old friend and partner, Hiro. The longhaired assassin slash guitarist was a welcome sight for Omi as well as the knowledge that they would be working together again this made the homesickness bearable. Hiro's smile and warm greeting alone, made Kirshiker's decision to place him on a long-term undercover assignment tolerable.   
  
Smiling as he approached his old friend, Omi couldn't stop the blush that spread across his face at Hiro's greeting.   
  
'Hey Omi, long time no see little buddy; you look as cute as you did the last time we were working together.'  
  
'It's nice to see you too Hiro, I wasn't the least bit surprised that Manx paired us again.'   
  
'I missed you...'Omi added this as the delicate blush on his face darkened to a bright crimson, he only hoped Hiro didn't notice it.   
  
Hiro smirked at the embarrassed teen, as he walked up to his little partner and placed his arm around Omi's shoulders.  
  
'Well, we have all the time in the world to catch up, but for now you and I have some preparations to do for the mission, and you my friend have a date with a bottle of hair dye.'  
  
As his eyebrows rose slowly and his eyes went wide, which gave Omi the distinct look of a deer caught in headlights; he couldn't help the sweat drop at the evil gleam in Hiro's eyes.  
  
'Hair dye?' Omi repeated, 'why do I suddenly have the feeling that I am not going to like what you have planned for me.'  
  
'Oh Omi, Hiro laughed, yea of little faith, I thought you trusted me?'  
  
A slow and pitiful groan was Omi's only answer to Hiro's question.   
  
~*~  
  
Two hours later the normally blond to light brown haired genki assassin found himself standing in front of a full length mirror, a look of pure horror configuring his normally sweet face to something that did not even remotely look happy  
  
'BUBBLE GUM PINK!!!!!!' Omi cried. A look of pure horror instantly changed to one of homicidal anger that would have made even ice queen Aya-kun flinch. Glancing at the sheepish look on Hiro's face through narrowed eyes, the normally happy assassin had to reign in his desire to do bodily harm to his friend and new partner, or better yet find some kind of exotic hair dye to use on Hiro. 'Hmm, maybe purple, or neon green, yah Hiro would look great with neon green hair.'  
  
The insane giggles coming from the obviously upset teen were beginning to make Hiro uncomfortable, but before he had a chance to voice his reasons for the choice in unusual hair color he suddenly found himself pinned to the wall opposite of the chair that Omi had been sitting in during his makeover.   
  
Looking down at his assailant, Hiro came face to face with a furious cerulean glare, and tried to remind himself that it probably was not in the best interest of his own health to upset the boy assassin any further.   
  
Omi tried to clam his breathing and reclaim some semblance of placidity as he hissed at Hiro through clenched teeth, 'what the hell were you thinking, dying my hair PINK!!!! I have enough trouble with Yohji teasing me about the fan girls in the flower shop fawning over me, I don't need him seeing this!'  
  
Trying not to burst out laughing at the ruffled teen's hissy fit, Hiro ruffled the bubble gum locks, which he had to admit, looked great on Omi. Not many people could pull off pink hair, but Omi was defiantly an exception to that rule. As the older assassin tried to pry his younger partner's fingers from their death grip on his shirt, he attempted to placate the irritate boy.   
  
'It's no big deal Omi-chan,' Hiro almost winced at the cerulean eyes narrowed further but with the ruffled pink hair the young assassin looked more like a rumpled kitten than a dangerous killer.   
  
Patting Omi on the back Hiro commenced his explanation that the unusual hair color that by the way looked fabulous, was necessary for the mission, and once this simple fact was explained Hiro knew that he had won this battle, after all as long as it was for the mission he knew Omi would accept it, even if it was a bit begrudgingly.   
  
'You look great, besides we're supposed to be in a band Omi, you're the star performer and you need a wild and unusual look that will help catch the public's interest.'  
  
Omi sighed and let go of Hiro's shirt, blushing a bit when he realized he had practically made Hiro "one with the wall". Turning to the mirror he looked at his reflection and tried to straighten the ruffled pink locks, all the while praying that 'the public' didn't include any of his teammates at the flower shop, specifically a lanky, blond haired, florist who would never let him hear the end of it.   
  
'I guess I can learn to live with the hair, as long as it is for the mission...'  
  
'There you go, and now to complete the look put these on.' Hiro handed the new pink singer a pair of colored contact lenses.  
  
'Purple?' Omi looked unsure about this idea, first pink hair and now purple eyes, what was he supposed to be, a girl or something.  
  
Smirking a the skeptical look he was receiving, Hiro nodded to his friend and turned away from the soon to be singer, and decided that Omi's look needed to be completed; what better way to do that then with some new clothes. Hiro grabbed a shopping bag that contained the first few outfits that would later be added to for Omi's, no wait, Shuichi's new wardrobe.   
  
Turning back around to see how the kid was doing with the contact lenses and to see if he needed any help, Hiro failed to stifle the gasp that slipped past his lips. Omi gave him a curious look at the gaping stare Hiro was giving him. Lets just say that Omi looked phenomenal with the combination of bubble gum pink hair and the wide expressive violet eyes.  
  
'Wow...'  
  
'What was that?' Omi said as he stifled a giggle at the mumbled response Hiro graced him with. Now violet eyes, shifted to study the shopping bag that was limply being held in Hiro's dwindling grasp, Omi shrugged as he walked up to his momentarily stunned comrade to take the clothes from him. 'Well after the hair and eye colors, the clothes can't be any worse, hopefully.'  
  
Snapping out of a daze when he felt the clothes tugged out of his grasp, Hiro abruptly realized that drooling all over his partner was not very attractive. He at least had the decency to blush at the audacity of his own inappropriate thoughts, and smiled to try and cover his own embarrassment.   
  
'Um, uh... Omi you should go change into those clothes to see if they fit, we can always pick up more stuff for you later on once we are settled into our new apartment.'  
  
'Ok,' Omi smiled at Hiro's blushing ramblings, 'so how long do we have to wait before the interview with Nittle Grasper?'  
  
Thankful that Omi had changed the topic of conversation away from his physical appearance to the mission, Hiro went over their mission schedule.   
  
'Thanks to Krishiker's connections and Manx's help, the president of Nittle Grasper thinks we are some newly discovered band, both of us just out of high school, which for you I guess is pretty true. He thinks we are ready and eager to make our dream of being a famous band a reality.'  
  
Hiro's description of the mission plan was abruptly cut off as Omi stepped out of the bathroom he had been changing in. He wore a pair of trendy black quarter pants, and orange sleeveless hoody with a baseball cap on his head.   
  
Smirking at Omi's futile attempt to cover his hair, Hiro walked over and snatched back the hat, smiling wider at Omi's protests and attempts to take it back.   
  
'Oh come on Hiro, why can't I cover up this pink mess?'  
  
'Oh no Omi-chan we can't have you cover those wonderful pink tresses, after I worked so hard picking out that color.'  
  
Omi growled in annoyance as Hiro made sure so skip out of his reach holding the hat to high for the young assassin to grab. 'Fine I won't cover my hair, now can we please get back to the mission?!?!'  
  
Beaming at his small victory, Hiro put an arm around Omi's shoulder and ushered his partner out of the room. 'Why don't we finish our meeting over lunch, after all this work I am famished.'  
  
Rolling his eyes at Hiro's antics Omi couldn't help but agree with the idea, especially as his stomach rumbled signaling to him that it was indeed lunchtime.   
  
~*~  
  
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TBC  
  
Well that's it for now, I want to thank everyone who has reviewed so far, and you guys are great. ^_^ I want to update my other story next, but after that I will be back with another chapter for this fic, and I promise it won't take months to post. ^_~   
  
A lot happens in the next chapter, Hiro and Shuichi move in to their new apartment, meet with Touma, find out who their target is, and Omi has his first run in with a certain famous romance writer. ^_~ You all know who I am talking about. ^_^ 


	4. Memories and The Band: Part I

I'm back everybody! I've been working on this chapter off and on while working on my update for Alternate Yesterday. ^_^ Due to the fact that I'm busy I have decided to break the chapter into two pieces, this is the first half and the second one will be coming soon so keep your eye out for it; this is what I have written so far so I hope you like it. ^_^ There are two large flashbacks between the two parts of the chapter, the first is from Hiro's POV the second is from Omi's POV; one is in part I and the other will be in part II. Well on with the story and if you have any comments or questions please review, it will make me smile. ^_^  
  
(Author's Note): In this chapter we find Hiro and Omi moving in to their new apartment and starting up their band. Also Hiro takes a trip down memory lane and it's a bumpy road, but it's all good. ^_^ Oh and please forgive me if Hiro is a bit OOC in this chapter during the flashback; believe me it's for a good reason.   
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Weiss Kreuz or Gravitation, just borrowing the characters for a bit of fun.   
  
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Chapter 3: Memories and The Band: Part I  
  
The crashing sound of toppled boxes and the colorful language that followed met Omi's ears as he entered the apartment that he and his new partner were to share for the next several months. After eating and some more shopping for new wardrobes, as Hiro claimed they needed; the young musicians slash assassins decided to set up their new accommodations. The apartment itself was only a short train ride from the Nittle Grasper building, where their meeting with owner Tohma Seguchi was scheduled for the next morning.  
  
"Are you OK in there Hiro?" Omi called to his friend over the boxes that he held in his grasp that were now blocking his view of the room he was in. Dropping the boxes on the floor to free up his hands, he stepped around the mess and headed into the kitchen to where he could still hear Hiro's choice vocabulary coming from.   
  
"Yah I'm fine, just dropped a box on my foot is all!" The irritate exclamation was followed by the scene of Hiro hopping on one foot across the kitchen toward Omi, a displeased grimace on his face. "I'm going down to the truck to get what's left there, you can mess with the stuff in the kitchen, because I'm afraid that I might break something at this rate." Growling in annoyance Hiro limped past a giggling Omi as he stormed into the hallway and out the door.   
  
Giggling at the ridiculous scene he had just witnessed Omi resigned himself to finishing the job that Hiro had started, 'I guess unpacking boxes isn't 't Hiro's best talent, but better he carry those remaining boxes up the stairs then me; I can't believe all the stuff we need just for a few months.' Sighing at that thought Omi proceeded to continue unpacking the "evil box" that had landed on Hiro's foot, and was a little more sympathetic when he realized it had been filled with dishes and utensils. "Ouch that must have hurt!"  
  
After he parked the truck behind the building where Kritiker agents could pick it up, Hiro made his way upstairs with the remaining box to the third story apartment that he and Omi now shared. With the physical pain from his foot long forgotten Hiro's mind drifted to a sense of deja vu he had been feeling ever since he had seen his old partner again. Even though Omi had moved on and was presently working on another team, Hiro himself had remained a loner agent and preferred working alone. He had only made an exception to his solitary existence once before, and the person he had made such an exception for was again his partner. Smiling fondly at the feelings that registered in his mind and heart at the knowledge that Omi was again going to be working with him for the next few months; Hiro entered the apartment and his ears immediately picked up on the music playing from a radio in the kitchen.   
  
Walking into the "domain of the evil box" Hiro was met with a scene that made a fond grin spread across his face like wild fire. The kitchen was almost completely set up and the bubble gum pink singer was holding a ladle in his hand while singing cheerfully to a pop song playing on the radio. Omi's swaying hips and wonderful voice accompanied Hiro as he entered and added his own voice to a song he knew all to well. At hearing his friend's voice the pink headed assassin abruptly turned around and flushed a deep crimson color in embarrassment at being caught singing to the radio.  
  
"Hey Omi if you get this embarrassed at a friend catching you singing in the kitchen to a radio, what are you going to do tomorrow when we have to sing in front of a sound crew at Nittle Grasper?" Pouting at Hiro's friendly banter Omi swatted at the hand trying to ruffle his pink locks and handed the annoying guitarist a bottle of water. "Here drink this and take a break, I am going to start unpacking in my room, and you can work on the living room."   
  
Saluting his "superior" Hiro took a swig from the water bottle and watched Omi as he grabbed the radio and headed down the hall towards the two bedrooms. Smiling affectionately at the younger assassin, Hiro took a seat at the kitchen table and let his mind momentarily wander. While his thoughts wandered Hiro found himself remembering how he had first met Omi, and the first time he himself had decided that taking on a partner may not be such a bad idea.  
  
~*~  
  
Flashback  
  
~*~  
  
Hiro's mind buzzed at the implications of what Manx's message to him had said. He was going to have a partner; he the lone agent Wolf of Kritiker was going to be working with another agent. Not that he particularly cared of course.   
  
Hiro had been an agent at Kritiker since he was thirteen, having been picked up by Manx while on his way to juvenile hall. She had given him a deal, either join her organization or go to jail. It wasn't that hard of a choice to make. It had been almost 5 years since he had joined Kritiker; up until now he had never had a partner and had never particularly wanted one.   
  
Before Kritiker had seemed to respect his desire to stay a lone agent, so when Manx had contacted him last night in regards to a new mission, which included him working with another agent, he had been less then pleased. Now he found himself following the redheaded bombshell down the dimly lit hallways of some long lost corridor in the bowels of Kritiker's headquarters in search of the illustrious hacker that was supposed to be his new partner, or was it his first partner, whatever.   
  
Smirking at the typical images that the word hacker brought to his mind, Hiro tried to pay attention to Manx's drawling speech as the pair went to meet his new comrade.   
  
"Now Hiro don't let their attitudes or eccentric personalities intimidate you, these people are the best hackers that Kritiker could ever hope to have. We just don't let them out often enough I guess. Smirking at some private joke Manx continued to lead them down the dim corridors.   
  
Entering a dimly lit and fairly large room at the end of the hall Hiro and Manx were met with black walls and no windows; the walls were covered in the warm glow of Christmas lights and the contrasting eerie glow of computer monitors scattered throughout the room. Plush couches and beanbag chairs littered the large space and gave the environment a comfortable feel. There was a pinball machine in one corner and a small refrigerator in another. Bottles of soft drinks and energy drinks along with half empty coffee cups were scattered around the room, on tables or computer desks. Hiro spotted a half full bowl of popcorn on one table while a bag of chocolates rested on another, with a small pile of discarded pizza boxes beside them.   
  
Looking up from the room's decor Hiro observed as Manx cleared her throat in a futile attempt to gain the attention of the five young people who represented the best hackers that Kritiker had. Of course her attempt failed and Hiro had to stifle a snort as he took in the occupants of the room.  
  
His attention was first drawn to a howl of victory to his left where a small blond boy dressed in a gray sleeveless hoodie over a black T-shirt and black jeans was playing an intense game of foosball with a pale faced girl who looked to be about Hiro's age, this made the blond boy look even younger.  
  
Hiro couldn't see the blonde's face since the boy's back was facing him, but the girl had waist length black hair that was highlighted with streaks of crimson. She was outfitted in what could be described as all black and crimson clothing, and her face was decorated with black lipstick and dark eye make-up which made her complexion all the more pale. Both his and Manx's presence seemed lost on the pair or gladiators as they battled for supremacy in the universe of foosball.   
  
In another corner a pair of young men who looked to be in their early twenties were seated in separate bean bag chairs battling in a video game on the wide screen TV that Hiro had not really been paying attention to up until now.   
  
The sound of keys clicking and the chime of an instant message clued Hiro into the whereabouts of the fifth hacker. She looked to be the oldest, probably in her mid-twenties and she was seated on a plush sofa with a laptop. Taking a moment to brush her brightly dyed purple hair out of her onyx colored eyes she went back to her online conversation, any indication that she cared about either Manx's or his presence was not seen in her outward appearance or actions.  
  
One solitary thought wove its way through Hiro's mind as he watched the spectacle before him; 'how the hell could I have been with Kritiker for almost five years and not have seen any of these people or this room until today!'   
  
Seemingly annoyed at being deliberately ignored Manx brushed passed the still shell shocked Hiro and walked to a stereo system that up until that moment had been booming with earsplitting music, that was until she calmly turned the racket off successfully plunging the room into a silence that was only broken by the bling of an instant messenger and the sounds of the video and foosball games.   
  
The resounding silence had it's desired affect, as collective moans of displeasure and strings of colorful language wove their way between the young occupants of the room; Manx knew she now had everyone's undivided attention. This was proven when five not completely thrilled but genuinely curious pairs of eyes met Hiro and Manx's gazes.   
  
Once the protests died away Manx began to speak to the disgruntled youths. "OK people you can go back to WORK and I do mean WORK, after you meet your new colleague here." She smiled knowingly as eyes rolled and snickers filtered throughout the room.   
  
Hiro suddenly felt uncomfortable as the five pairs of eyes that only a moment ago had given Manx their full attention and had not spared him a glance, were now suddenly fixed only on him.   
  
"Everyone this is agent Wolf and he is here to meet his new partner." At this revelation Hiro was surprised again when a new string of sniggers and barely contained chuckles spread throughout the room coming mainly from the two young men seated in front of the TV, while the girl on the sofa giggled openly not bothering to hide whatever amusement she seemed to find in Manx's statement.   
  
Hiro noticed that the only members of this group who didn't seem amused by Manx's words were the pair of younger teens standing side by side with the now forgotten foosball table behind them. For the first time since he had entered the room Hiro came face to face with the blond youth that had before been playing foosball with the pale-faced girl; the same girl who was now frowning as she racked over his form with a disapproving gaze. The gaze he received from the boy was her direct opposite, as Hiro found himself drowning in a sea of cerulean as smiling eyes and a kind grin graced him as a response to Manx's introduction.  
  
Finding himself frozen in the boy's bewitching gaze Hiro was startled when Manx responded to the situation with an abrupt snort. Turning to her he found the redhead smirking at him in an infuriatingly knowing way.   
  
Manx had noticed Hiro's stunned reaction and the small blonde's distinctly different welcome, this helped to reinforce her feeling that she had made the right choice in who she had decided to pair with her anti-social agent.  
  
"Agent Wolf..."  
  
When he heard his code name Hiro snapped out of the powerful gaze that the blond youth had trapped him in, and turned to a surprisingly amused looking Manx.  
  
"This is Star and she is the leader of this group of misfit prodigies; at this remark the group broke out into howls of pride and laughter. The cheers were halted as the before mentioned leader stood and bowed to Hiro. When her greeting was finished she turned to her group and proceeded with introductions.   
  
"Those two by the TV are brothers and besides me they have been here the longest, this was said with a proud and protective gleam in her eyes. This made Hiro realize that this group was close, like a family. He immediately began to feel like an intruder in their group, here they were a family and he was about to take one of their own away to be his new partner. This realization made the already uncomfortable feelings he was experiencing all the more unpleasant.   
  
Hiro's dark thoughts were chased away momentarily when the brothers decided to introduce themselves as Fox and Torch. Both had fiery red hair that was short and spiked. They looked more like twins then just merely brothers, but that was impossible when Hiro noticed that Fox had brilliant turquoise eyes and some well groomed chin hair while Torch had warm brown eyes and was cleanly shaven with no evidence of a goatee. When they stood up it was clearer to see that Fox was older and at least a head taller then his brother, which helped to dispel the twin theory that Hiro had first thought of.   
  
Smiling at the young men he bowed to them in greeting and turned to meet the gazes of the pair standing by the foosball table. The girl with her pale features, onyx hair and bright amethyst eyes, stood next to the smaller blond boy with a protective air about her as she studied Hiro; the intensity of her penetrating gaze began to make him feel restless and Hiro found himself shifting in his position next to Manx.   
  
Suddenly as if to break the tension she was creating the girl spoke, "I'm Raven". Turning to the boy next to her she introduced him, "this is Bombay."  
  
Hiro couldn't help but feel a little perturbed that she had introduced the blond herself, he had wanted the boy to speak to him since the moment he had first laid eyes on him. The silence that reigned after her blunt introductions was finally shattered by warm giggles that erupted from the blond boy, he playfully swatted Raven on the arm while his warm voice quickly painted Hiro's world in a bright array of colors.   
  
"Oh cut it out Birdie, your scaring him," turning to Hiro the blond continued "don't mind her she's just like that around strangers, she's really nothing more then a big softy once she gets used to you..." The blonde's exclamation was quickly halted as the girl took him into a head lock and started to rub her knuckles into his hair causing the blond to squeal and giggle harder, this was quickly joined by the laughter of the two brothers and the rolling of eyes on the part of Manx and Star.   
  
Her torture of Bombay administered Raven let go of the now disheveled blond, turning to lock eyes again with Hiro she said, "and you little kitty are too trusting for your own good, I'm just testing him, seeing how he would react. Personally I don't see why Manx had to pair you with him, Star or Fox could have easily taken the mission."   
  
While the blond and his overprotective companion bantered back and fourth Hiro's mind spun at the realization of what the pale girl's words brought fourth. Until this moment Hiro had been completely in the dark as to who in this eccentric group was going to be his partner, surprisingly the answer that he had received to this question had not been an unwelcome one.  
  
Hiro found himself smiling at the idea of him and Bombay on a mission together, the genki boy was going to be his first partner, and for the first time since the idea had been suggested to him, Hiro found it to be to his liking.   
  
To be honest it was also a relief; when Manx had first told him that he was to have a partner who had been with Kritiker for more years than he had been, and was an experienced hacker, Hiro's mind had conjured up images far different from the boy he now found himself paired with. In fact before he had stepped through the door into this room his mind had envisioned some thirty something agent who had been locked away in a dark room for too long, and was as a result anti social and more interested in his computer then the rest of the world in general.   
  
To Hiro's eternal relief Bombay was the direct opposite to his fears, while his companions seemed a bit strange, he realized that all of them himself included were not exactly normal people to begin with, and anyway normal had always seemed overrated as far as he was concerned.  
  
With a loud clearing of her throat Manx was surprisingly able to gain the attention of the rowdy group of assassins. "Bombay, you and agent Wolf are going to be partners for the duration of your mission, although I know that neither of you have had partners before, with the exception of your friends here Bombay..." she gestured to the other hackers in the room who were now quietly watching Hiro and looking at Bombay with silent concern. It was clear to anyone that Bombay's friends were not thrilled with the idea of letting Manx partner him with someone they did not yet trust and was no more to them then a perfect stranger. However their trust in Manx and their trust in Bombay's decision to accept the mission kept all further comments and concerns unvoiced among the group.  
  
Bombay broke out into an infectious smile at Manx's statement and proceeded to detach Raven's protective grasp on his arm, then walked up to Hiro to continue the introductions personally.   
  
Hiro was startled when the smiling blond detached the girl's grip on his arm and walked right up to him and proceeded to grab Hiro by his hand and drag him over to the couch that Star had previously occupied. Once they were seated on the soft leather sofa Bombay introduced himself as Omi and began to ask Hiro a torrent of different questions ranging from what his real name was to what his favorite musical group was.   
  
Hiro found himself laughing at the brilliant enthusiasm of his young friend, 'whoa did I just think friend' Hiro's mind buzzed with this thought, he had never made friends with anyone as quickly as he seemed to be doing know with Omi. Breaking into a brilliant smile of his own to match his partner's. 'Yah, Omi is my partner now, and I think this next mission we go on is going to be the most interesting assignment I have ever been on.' After this thought Hiro returned his full attention to his partner seated next to him.  
  
~*~  
  
End of Flashback   
  
~*~  
  
Someone shaking his shoulder awoke Hiro from his memories as the soft voice of his partner bade him to wake up. Hiro pushed himself up from the table where he had been sleeping for how long he didn't know, but as he turned to Omi he noticed the boy was bathed in the light of the setting sun that was pouring through the kitchen window behind his partner. This told Hiro that he must have slept at least an hour or so to be waking near sunset.   
  
"Hey Hiro I'm getting hungry and we still haven't gone grocery shopping yet, so why don't we get some take out then afterwards make a quick trip to the grocery store down the street." This said Omi turned to the phone book on the counter looking for the number of a local pizzeria.  
  
Smiling his partner's healthy appetite and the growling of his own stomach Hiro nodded his consent for pizza and waited for Omi to make the order.   
  
After they ate the two undercover assassins and soon to be rock stars headed out to do some last minute grocery shopping, since they knew they couldn't survive on pizza or takeout alone, no matter how tempting it was.   
  
"Hiro are you sure that this Tohma guy is actually going to agree to let us record at Nittle Grasper, I mean he's never even heard us play before and has never met us.... wait, is he in on our undercover assignment?!?!" Smirking at the revelation that Omi had made Hiro nodded to the pink haired wonder.   
  
"Yup, supposedly this Tohma guy was a former Kritiker agent years ago and when he retired from his position in our line of work he became a rock star, then later the head of his own corporation, pretty ambitious guy don't you think."   
  
The look on Omi's face was something between a gold fish and a stunned deer, either way it was an adorably ridiculous expression of shock and dumfounded surprise. "Wow I never thought that an agent could have that kind of future after what we do for a living, its like he started over or something..." Omi's eyes shined like stars as he gave Hiro an excited laugh and turned to continue speaking, "I hope I can do something like that one day you know, just leave this life behind and start over, maybe be in a real band and not just pretending like we are now, what do you think huh Hiro, do you want to do something like that one day?"  
  
His eyebrows had steadily rose as his friend spoke of his future ambitions and dreams in such honest abandon and eagerness that it made Hiro truly believe that maybe someday he too could have a better life, one that didn't revolve around killing and assassinations, a real life.   
  
"Yah kid I do, and if you ever do decide to start a real band count me in OK."  
  
Smiling up at his friend and partner Omi nodded in response before grasping Hiro by the hand and leading him into the grocery store, "sure Hiro just you and me, we will make a great band someday, and for now we can use this chance with Nittle Grasper to prepare us for the future."  
  
And as the pink haired boy expected his friend's response was to ruffle his bubble gum locks and simply nods his head, "yah Shuichi that sounds great."  
  
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TBC in Part II  
  
Wow that's taken me longer to write than I thought it would. Now don't worry this is just part I of the chapter, I decided that instead of waiting to finish the chapter and add more to it I would post what I had so far and keep you guys from having to wait too long. The second half will be posted in the near future so be patient. ^_^   
  
Oh and just in case you're wondering, from now on Hiro will refer to Omi as Shuichi when they are around others who are not in on their true identities. Just wanted to clear that up so nobody is lost, let me know what you think, and thanks for reading. ^_^ 


	5. Memories and The Band: Part II

OK everybody this is the second part of Memories and The Band. I am so sorry it took me so long to post this, I had it written but couldn't find the spare time to type it up. _ I have decided to break up this section further into three parts, since I am doing more with it then I originally planned. Part III will be coming soon, so enjoy part II and keep your eyes out for the third part of Memories and the Band. Well I hope you enjoy and don't forget to review and let me know what you think. ^_^  
  
(Author's Note): In this chapter there is another flashback except it is from Omi's POV this time. The boys are going to meet with Tohma. The story from this point on should be moving faster, so hold on and enjoy. ^_^   
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Gravitation or Weiss Kreuz.   
  
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Chapter 4: Memories and The Band: Part II  
  
The obnoxious buzzing of an alarm clock jolted Omi into consciousness as he squinted his eyes to compensate for the brilliant morning light pouring through his bedroom windows. The bright red numbers of the digital clock told the assassin that it was still too early in the morning to be up; but knowing already that Hiro was hardly a morning person, he should at least get up and start preparations for the day. Thoughts of how he often had to wake up Yohji or Ken, and how hard it was to get either of them up in the morning reminded Omi that similar extreme tactics had been necessary in the past when rousing the guitarist.   
  
The pair of musicians were not scheduled to meet the illustrious Seguchi Tohma until later in the morning, but preparations for the meeting which included getting their instruments together and a strong cup of coffee convinced the hacker to rouse himself at six in the morning to start his day.   
  
Omi had spent the better part of the previous night going over mission records in detail, after he and Hiro had returned from their last minute shopping trip to the local grocery store. He had then decided to do some additional research of his own after setting up his beloved computer equipment that he had brought with him for the mission. Omi had proceeded to look into Kritiker's records on Seguchi Tohma, and confirm what Hiro had said about the former musician and current business man.   
  
Finding out that Hiro had been correct about Tohma's past connections to Kritiker had come as a bit of a shock to Omi. He still couldn't completely wrap his mind around the idea that a former assassin had not only left Kritiker, but had obtained fame and fortune in music and business. Seguchi-san was defiantly a marvel as far is the young assassin was concerned, it made his own ambitions seem less fantastic and more realistic; the possibility of obtaining them now seemed possible.  
  
Running fingers though his now bubble gum shaded hair and rubbing the sleep out of his cerulean eyes Omi decided coffee and a shower were of greater importance at the moment, therefore he decided to give Hiro an extra half hour of sleep while he obtained those objectives for himself. Waking the guitarist too early often resulted in a cranky and disheveled Hiro, and that was just not a pretty site. The images of waking a similarly disgruntled Yohji for the early morning shifts in the flower shop after a night of partying was a similar situation that Omi often did not want to deal with. So letting Hiro sleep a little more was advantageous both for Omi's physical health and his emotional well being.  
  
After his shower and morning consumption of caffeine Omi found himself fumbling with the contact lenses Hiro had given him. Why he needed a different eye color was beyond him, but at least it was only a minor change, unlike his hair which would take much longer to become accustomed to. Omi prayed that he would be able to get though the mission without his teammates in Weiss seeing the new look.   
  
Omi knew that Ran could care less and that Aya-chan would keep any comments to herself, but Yohji and Ken were a whole different story. Hopefully they wouldn't even recognize him if they saw a picture of Shindou Shuichi, once his celebrity status was obtained. Omi knew that his other team mates wouldn't recognize Hiro since they had never met him. As a result of the fact that Hiro was a less active agent he didn't need to disguise himself at all.   
  
'Grrr, sometimes life is so unfair!' Omi growled to himself as he finally got the lenses in and his hair into some semblance of order.  
  
On his way out of the bathroom Omi quickly grabbed the water pistol he had remembered to pack when he left the flower shop . He filled it up with ice cold water and proceeded to go and try to wake up his partner. It was a tactic he had developed to wake Hiro up years ago when they first worked together, when Omi had come to realize that usually nothing short of a nuclear explosion could wake up his friend, but for some reason cold water worked every time. The tactic had been later adapted to wake up Yohji or Ken, and allowed Omi to do this from a safe distance away; since with the water gun he could obtain the desired result and keep a healthy distance from the unhappy individual he was waking. Basically it gave him extra time to run when his victim realized what he had done and decided to get even.   
  
Smirking at those thoughts Omi slowly crept up to Hiro's bedroom door and opened it slowly. His victim was sprawled across the bed almost diagonally with the blankets half on him and half on the floor. His back was to Omi but his face was visible from its position smushed into a pillow. A look of comfortable oblivion was plastered across Hiro's face as he dreams whatever he was dreaming.  
  
"Oh well, I guess it's time to interrupt those dreams and bring him back to reality."   
  
Omi giggled as he took aim at Hiro's bare back and proceeded to rain down ice cold water on his unsuspecting victim. This earning him a shriek of surprise followed by the "evil glare of death", that should have made even Ran-kun the ice queen proud.   
  
"Dammit Omi you are so dead!!!"   
  
Hiro sprang out of bed clothed in nothing but black cotton boxers and tried to tackle his fellow assassin who was too busy howling with laughter; only to trip on the blanket that was tangled around his feet and end up in a heap on the floor.   
  
Following the crash of his teammate hitting the floor Omi's laughter died away as Hiro groaned from the heap he and the blankets had become. The concern that he had caused his friend to hurt himself over-rode Omi's better judgment as he crept up to Hiro and knelt next to him to ask if he was OK, and to help him to his feet.   
  
"Eeeh!!!" Omi screeched as Hiro seemed to spring to life and tackled his sneaky little partner.   
  
Proceeding to pull Omi into a head lock Hiro administered a fair dose of revenge nuggies to the luscious pink locks that adorned his friend's head and was rewarded with Omi's exclamation of regret and apologies.   
  
"Oh no my friend, if you want me to stop you need to promise me that you will never do that again."   
  
Hiro continued to ruffle pink hair until Omi's squeaks of protest finally gave way to his promise to never again drench him with water when waking him up. Of course from Omi's perspective this just meant he would need to find a new tactic to use when waking Hiro up.   
  
Grumbling at having to again fix his now disheveled hair, Omi left Hiro to get ready as he decided that breakfast was a logical next step in his morning routine.   
  
"I need another cup of coffee after that disaster." Omi huffed as he traveled back to the kitchen in search of sustenance.   
  
~*~  
  
The roar of the approaching train signaled to the two assassins that the ride they were waiting for to Nittle Grasper Records had arrived. Omi carried a backpack that held his laptop and his music while his partner carried his guitar in its case. The ride to the studio was short, about ten minutes so they had plenty of time to get to their meeting with Seguchi Tohma.   
  
"Hey Shuichi are you nervous, you look like your going to be sick?"   
  
Turning to his partner and ruffling the bubble gum hair Hiro tried to comfort his distraught friend.   
  
"Don't worry you'll sound great and with me there to accompany you, how can you not sound fantastic!"   
  
Hiro laughed at his own joke and smiled as Omi's nervous expression melted into an amused smirk as he swatted away the annoying hands that were messing up his pink tresses.  
  
"I know we are on assignment and all but I've never performed in front of strangers before, especially professionals, I can't help but feel apprehensive; I mean what if Seguchi-san hates my voice or my music, I'll ruin the mission!"   
  
Sulking at that notion Omi started to have second thoughts about agreeing to the mission. His music had always been a intensely personal subject for him, and besides Hiro and Manx and that one time freak time that Yohji had caught him singing in the shower, Omi had never shared his music with anyone.   
  
A hand on his shoulder helped to chase away the teen's apprehensions as he looked up into Hiro's eyes and saw the confidence shining there.   
  
"You have absolutely nothing to worry about Omi."   
  
Hiro momentarily slipped the assassin's other name as he leaned down to whisper to his companion.   
  
"Even if this Tohma guy wasn't helping Kritiker you would still blow him away with your talent. Believe me when I tell you this, your a phenomenal singer and song writer, that's why Manx asked you to do this. Seguchi-san wouldn't be able to make us look like a legitimate band unless you already had talent and a great voice, so just go in there and have a good time and enjoy the freedom to pursue your music."  
  
A brilliant smile lit up Omi's face at Hiro's praise, and he glomped his friend in a hug of thanks, "your the best Hiro, you always know how to make me feel better."  
  
Once the happy teen let him go Hiro tried to reign in his blush and control the stupid grin that had manifested on his face at the affectionate gesture Omi had shown him. He became strangely amused when he noticed that it must have happened so fast that either no body in the train car had seen what had happened, or they just didn't particularly care.   
  
Once the pair were seated and the train began its journey Omi leaned up against the window and peered out over the city as he watched the scenery pass by. As he watched the passing sites his mind wandered, and the speech Hiro had just given him reminded Omi of the first time he and his friend had been paired together on a mission.   
  
~*~  
  
Flashback  
  
~*~  
  
This wasn't altogether an unfamiliar experience for the young hacker. Omi had been paired with the other four members of his group on missions before, so working with another agent was not unusual for him. Still the experience of working with an agent he had only just met, and who did not share the expertise of being a fellow hacker was new for him. Omi was understandably nervous about working with a stranger, but from what he had been able to see in his initial meeting with Hiro, excitement and the possibility of making a new friend quickly overrode any apprehension the boy assassin was feeling.   
  
Omi had spent the better part of the day going over the mission he and his new partner were going to be working on. While his fellow hackers continued to work on the assignments they had been previously given, Hiro had taken up a seat next to Omi's terminal as the pair worked together.  
  
Manx had already given them a mission briefing privately, since the other hackers were not privy to the information that Omi now knew, unless they would be called in to assist him. Now Omi spent the wee hours of the morning pumping coffee into his half asleep partner and hacking into government files and creating the false student records for the high school that he and Hiro would be attending while undercover.   
  
The mission itself was to find and eliminate the heads of an organization that was kidnapping teens in the area of this particular school, and according to Kritiker was selling the children into prostitution rings. So far none of the missing children had been found dead or alive, and it was up to them to put these monsters out of commission and to hopefully find out from the computer records that such organizations kept, where the victims where, so that they could be rescued by a separate Kritiker team.   
  
As part of the mission Omi and Hiro were to pose as normal high school teens and were even going to be living with surrogate families for the duration of the mission. Hiro would be living with one family whose members believed him to be a ward of the state and Omi was to be "adopted" into the Shindou family who believed he too was an orphan.   
  
The young assassin felt a little remorseful about using these families for their cover, when all they wanted to do was help unfortunate children who had no families, but the timing of the mission and the convenience of the cover had convinced Kritiker that it was too good of a chance to pass up. Omi consoled himself with the belief that he would only be with this family for a short time, only a few weeks at most. Then they and Hiro's surrogate family would be led to believe that the boys had been relocated to different homes.   
  
The idea of living with a real family was not an unpleasant concept for the young assassin. Omi had a kind of kinship with the other young hackers in Kritiker, but as far back as he could remember he had never had a real family. Maybe if only for a little while he could pretend that the Shindou's were really his family, and that he was truly wanted for more then just his talents as an assassin and hacker.   
  
~*~  
  
The mission itself had gone off without a hitch. Omi and Hiro had spent almost two months pretending to be normal high school students and had used their cover with surrogate families too help them blend in to the student population of the school that the kidnappers were targeting.   
  
As it ended up, Omi had himself become a target of the kidnappers and it was their interest in him that had aloud the assassins the chance they had been patiently waiting for. While Omi aloud himself to be captured, Hiro had tracked his location and had freed his partner as well as seven other teens being kept in the kidnappers possession. While Hiro had eliminated the targets, Omi had hacked into the gang's computers and had learned possible locations for the previously kidnapped children, and other key individuals who were involved in the kidnapping ring.   
  
With the information obtained the young assassin helped Hiro to eliminate any remaining targets and then make an anonymous call to the local authorities to come to the abandoned warehouse to find the dead kidnappers, and the still very alive albeit terrified teens they had kept there.   
  
Considering the amount of time that Omi and his partner Hiro had spent undercover together the mission itself had been relatively quick, two months of preparation and waiting, and the actual hit had taken a little over an hour to complete.   
  
The success of their mission had aloud Kritiker to immediately track the other members of the kidnapping ring using the information that Omi had obtained, and only weeks after their first mission together had ended, the two assassins were helping to brief several larger assassin teams who would be rescuing the other children from the locations where they were being kept, and eliminating the remaining members of the organization responsible.   
  
Omi had felt a sort of pride at the end of the ordeal when all the children who had disappeared had been successfully found, and the horrible bad men who had taken them from their homes and families were no longer a part of this world.   
  
By the final conclusion of the mission almost five months had passed and he had become accustomed to working with Hiro. Unfortunately Manx was not planning on keeping the pair as teammates forever, much to both assassins dismay.   
  
Eventually Omi was returned to his hacking responsibilities with the other four hackers he had originally worked with, and while it was nice to get back into his routine with them he still missed working with Hiro.   
  
Hiro had gone off to again become a solo Kritiker agent and had not taken on another partner after his five month assignment with Omi. Hiro always hoped that he and Omi would get to work together again in the near future, but the hope of that occurring was dashed when he became privy to the information that Manx and Persia had decided to create a new assassin team called Weiss.  
  
Omi's hopes of working with Hiro again had to be put aside when he had found out from Manx that he was to become the first member of a new assassin team. While the idea of being assigned to a permanent position on a team delighted the hacker, he had hoped that the new team would have included Hiro in its ranks. However this was not to be and as Omi became the first member of Weiss he had to leave his partnership with Hiro behind him, as much as he disliked the idea.   
  
~*~  
  
End of Flashback  
  
~*~  
  
Hiro's voice telling him they were at their stop, snapped Omi from his memories and silent musings. Smiling to Hiro he grabbed his backpack from its place by his feet and followed his friend from the train. The walk from the train station to the Nittle Grasper Record's Building was relatively short and only took an additional five minutes, allowing the pair to arrive with time to spare.   
  
By the time the pair of musicians/assassins had reached the Nittle Grasper Records building, Omi's apprehension had transformed into excitement as they made their way past security to the elevators and up to the top floor to Segushi Tohma's office for their meeting.   
  
Omi had always been a huge Nittle Grasper fan, so just being in the same building as a former member of his all time favorite band was enough to make the young assassin almost giddy with excitement.   
  
After a short wait in a waiting room a secretary for Tohma Seguchi told the pair that her boss was ready to see them. Suddenly nervous Omi looked up to his partner and sighed with relief when Hiro smiled at him and led the way as they headed into Seguchi-san's office.   
  
Waiting for them beyond the double oak doors of Tohma Seguchi's office was a vast space that they both supposed Seguchi-san considered an office. Set in front of huge ceiling to floor windows that gave visitor's a spectacular view of the Tokyo city skyline was a grand desk with a young man seated behind it.   
  
In Omi's opinion this young man hardly looked much older then his team mates back in Weiss, but the young assassin had learned long ago that age meant nothing. Even if Seguchi-san was not much older then his friends it didn't mean he wasn't a force to be reckoned with; after all this seemingly pleasant individual had once been an agent for Kritiker before his singing career, and had somehow successfully left Kritiker behind and had survived.   
  
After seating themselves across from the owner of Nittle Grasper Records they were greeted by a smiling Tohma as he welcomed them and waited for his secretarie's exit from the room. Once the women left the smiling and cheerful nature was replaced by a harsher more business like facade, this Omi supposed was the real Tohma Segushi and the former assassin for Kritiker.   
  
Taking in the young men in front of him Tohma decided to forgo the pleasantries and get down to business.   
  
"Well gentlemen as you already know I am Segushi Tohma and as the president of Nittle Grasper Records I would like to welcome you, but on another note as a former agent for the organization that you both work for I am actually relieved for your presence. When I was first contacted by Manx I was surprised to say the least, since she and I not only go way back, but have not spoken with each other in years."  
  
"At first I was not exactly pleased with the idea of not only working with Kritiker again but harboring two undercover agents and helping them fool the public into believing they were talented musicians. You do realize I have a business to run and don't exactly relish the idea of creating false bands and being ordered around by an organization that I severed ties with years ago."  
  
Omi and Hiro were wide eyed by this point, they both had no idea that Manx had ordered Tohma to help them and Kritiker on this mission, they had figured he had volunteered his help. Feeling guilty about their intrusion into and disruption of Tohma's life and business, Omi was about to apologize for himself, Hiro and Kritiker when he was cut off as the business man continued.   
  
"As I said before I was unhappy about this arrangement, but that was until this morning when the situation changed and the threat became personal."  
  
Embarrassment and guilt suddenly gone, Omi and Hiro were now the painted in confusion, and Tohma seemed to sense this, as a wry grin appeared over the scowl that had previously adorned his face.   
  
Sighing in an attempt to calm his nerves Tohma leaned back in his plush leather chair and continued his explanation.   
  
"I assume you both know of the romance novel author Uesugi Eiri?"  
  
Hiro was completely unaware of who Tohma was referring to as he himself did not read romance novels, however his confusing thoughts were interrupted when Omi piped up with an affirmative answer.   
  
"Yes I have heard of him, many of the girls in my class at school read his novels and are always talking about them in school, but I myself have never read them." Omi remembered the lengthily and love sick talks the girls in his class and the fan girls at the flower shop would have about Yuki Eiri's novels, even Yohji said he had read one once just to see what the big deal was about, apparently according to both the play boy and the girls Omi had talked to, the author was the best when it came to writing romance.   
  
Smiling at the response he had obtained from the genki pink haired assassin, Tohma nodded his agreement with Eiri's popularity among his fans. "As I said previously I was not too happy with Manx's suggestions and my possible role in this sherade, but this morning my brother-in-law Uesugi Eiri received a threatening letter and the contents of the letter match the sample letters that Manx sent me for your case. Whoever you are supposed to be hunting has targeted my dear friend and this is now personal, and thus I have whole heartily agreed to help you."  
  
Taking a moment to digest what they had just been told, Omi knew he would need to get a hold of Manx immediately and to confirm what Tohma had just told him. Nodding his understanding to the blond businessman he let the conversation continue.   
  
"Before we speak any further on the issue of your mission, it seems necessary for me to answer any questions you may have so far." With this said Tohma relinquished control of the conversation over to the two young assassins in front of him all the while secretly knowing what they would ask of him.   
  
Looking back toward each other Hiro gave Omi a look that seemed to say that he had no real questions so that the boy should proceed with any he might have, after all Omi was the tactician and strategist of not only their partnership but of Weiss as well.   
  
Seeming to sense Hiro's uncomfortable feelings about proceeding with the conversation with the head of Nittle Grasper Records, he decided this was the perfect opportunity to voice some very nagging questions that had been plaguing him since he had learned of Tohma's connections with Kritiker.   
  
Locking a confident gaze with Tohma Seguchi, the bubble gum pink assassin voiced his most nagging questions, "If you don't mind me asking Segushi-san, how exactly do you know Manx-san and why did you leave Kritiker, and most importantly how did you do it, I didn't think anyone could just leave the organization and start over, please tell me Tohma-san, how did you accomplish this?"  
  
Hearing the boy's honest and adorably curious questions and having already partially expecting them Tohma aloud a small chuckle to pass his lips as he nodded and decided that the young assassin's questions did merit answering.   
  
Pushing the call button on the intercom Tohma asked his secretary to bring tea for himself and his guests, after that task was taken care of, he leaned back in his plush chair again and waved to his quests to make themselves comfortable.   
  
"Very well, Shuichi is it?" at the boy's nod he smiled and continued. "I suppose a bit of explanation as to how I became affiliated with Manx and Kritiker is in order, and along those lines how my involvement with Kritiker lead to my meeting Ryuichi and the creation of Nittle Grasper itself."  
  
At this remark both Omi's and Hiro's eyes widened to double their normal size as Omi's jaw swung open like a rusty door hanging limply at the shock that came with the knowledge that an organization like Kritiker could have anything to do with the creation of his all time favorite band. It was unbelievable, there was no way Kritiker could have had any part to play in the formation of Nittle Grasper, such a thought just couldn't be believed by the pink haired assassin.   
  
Smiling ruefully at the expressions on both Shuichi and Hiro's faces Tohma decided to continue. After all there was much to be done if he was going to make Hiro and Shuichi into stars and professional musicians, not to mention that they needed to meet his brother-in-law and to begin their mission, and in Tohma's mind Eiri's safety was the main goal, to hell with what Kritiker wanted, Eiri came first on Tohma's agenda.   
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
TBC: In Memories and The Band Part III  
  
Well that's good for now, as I told you guys before I decided to break this up further into three parts. Sorry for the additional wait, but I decided to go into more detail than I originally planned with the flashbacks and with Tohma's past. But more is good right? ^_~ Part III should be posted soon so sit tight and keep your eyes open for it.   
  
I have been reconsidering my pairings for this fic, I originally wanted to do a Shuichi (Omi) and Yuki pairing, but for some reason I seem to be writing a Hiro and Shuichi (Omi) pairing. ^_^ Now how did that happen? Anyway, I decided to leave it up to you the readers as to what pairing it should be.   
  
Should I write a Yuki and Shuichi (Omi) pairing, or a Hiro and Shuichi (Omi) pairing? Let me know what your vote is because majority rules this one people, and the more votes I get the better, I will let you know in part III of Memories and The Band which pairing wins, so make your opinion known because it could make all the difference. ^_~ 


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